Legends of the Gods: The Egyptian Texts, edited with TranslationsBudge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
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Legends of the Gods: The Egyptian Texts, edited with Translations
Budge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
Egyptian literature -- Translations into English; Mythology, Egyptian
The goddess Rhea,[FN#293] they say, having accompanied with
Kronos[FN#294] by stealth, was discovered by Helios[FN#295] who
straightway cursed her, and declared that she should not be delivered
in any month or year. Hermes, however, 'being also in love with the
same goddess, in return for the favours which he had received from her,
went and played at dice with Selene,[FN#296] and won from her the
seventieth part of each day. These parts he joined together and made
from them five complete days, and he added them to the three hundred
and sixty days of which the year formerly consisted. These five days
are to this day called the "Epagomenae,"[FN#297] that is, the
superadded, and they are observed by them as the birthdays of their
gods.[FN#298] On the first of these, they say, Osiris was born, and as
he came into the world a voice was heard saying, "The Lord of
All[FN#299] is born." Some relate the matter in a different way, and
say that a certain person named Pamyles, as he was fetching water from
the temple of Dios at Thebes, heard a voice commanding him to proclaim
aloud that the good and great king Osiris was then born, and that for
this reason Kronos committed the education of the child to him, and
that in memory of this event the Pamylia were afterwards instituted,
which closely resemble the Phallephoria or Priapeia of the Greeks.
Upon the second of these days was born Aroueris,[FN#300] whom some call
Apollo, and others the Elder Horus. Upon the third day Typhon was
born, who came into the world neither at the proper time nor by the
right way, but he forced a passage through a wound which he made in his
mother's side. Upon the fourth day Isis was born, in the marshes of
Egypt,[FN#301] and upon the fifth day Nephthys, whom some call Teleute,
or Aphrodite, or Nike, was born. As regards the fathers of these
children, the first two are said to have been begotten by Helios, Isis
by Hermes, and Typhon and Nephthys by Kronos. Therefore, since the
third of the superadded days was the birthday of Typhon, the kings
considered it to be unlucky,[FN#302] and in consequence they neither
transacted any business in it, nor even suffered themselves to take any
refreshment until the evening. They further add that Typhon married
Nephthys,[FN#303] and that Isis and Osiris, having a mutual affection,
enjoyed each other in their mother's womb before they were born, and
that from this commerce sprang Aroueris, whom the Egyptians likewise
call Horus the Elder, and the Greeks Apollo.
[FN#293] i.e., Nut, the Sky-goddess.
[FN#294] i.e., Keb, the Earth-god.
[FN#295] i.e., Ra.
[FN#296] i.e., Aah.
[FN#297] In Egyptian, "the five days over the year,"
[FN#298] In Egyptian thus:--
I. Birthday of Osiris,
II. Birthday of Horus,
III. Birthday of Set,
IV. Birthday of Isis,
V. Birthday of Nephthys
[FN#299] One of the chief titles of Osiris was Neb er tcher, i.e.,
"lord to the uttermost limit of everything."
[FN#300] i.e., Heru-ur, "Horus the Elder."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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